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Embark on an unforgettable family bus tour from Osaka to the historic wonders of Nara and Kyoto. Discover ancient temples, playful deer, and stunning landscapes on Day 2 of your Japan adventure.
This post was written after receiving free services from the vendor,
and I may receive a small commission through affiliate activities.
Service: YP Ryu, Affiliate Activity: Bus Tour
Nara to meet the deer
Kyoto to feel the deep history
Perfectly enjoyed via a convenient bus tour
Our Osaka Family Trip
Day 2
Hi there! I'm travel influencer Ciel-!
Today, I'm excited to share Day 2 of our 4-day, 3-night Osaka getaway,
where we took a day trip to Nara and Kyoto—
destinations near Osaka that I've always dreamed of exploring with my parents!
Osaka Day 2 |
Candeo Hotel → Nara Deer Park & Todaiji Temple → Kyoto Kiyomizudera Temple → Kyoto Arashiyama Sightseeing → Osaka → YP Ryu (Dinner) → Dotonbori → Convenience Store → Hotel |
The main reason I chose Osaka for our family trip
was actually because I really wanted to see my parents
getting playfully chased by the deer at Nara Park! lol
So, "Nara" Deer Park was my absolute #1 must-visit spot on my list.
But because of my mom's sudden ankle pain...
we ditched the self-guided walking tour and opted for a convenient bus tour instead.
We ended up booking through "Raku Tour"!
Our first stop was Nara Deer Park and Todaiji Temple. Since our stay here was only about 80–90 minutes,
we rushed to explore Todaiji first, slightly worried we'd run out of time.
📍 Todaiji Temple
406-1 Zōshichō, Nara, 630-8587 Japan
First, let's take a quick proof shot!
Before entering the Great Buddha Hall, we bathed ourselves in the smoke from the incense burner
to pray for good health.
(Though I mindlessly just told my parents to make a wish, haha!)
Our wonderful guide took a gorgeous family photo for us
with the Great Buddha Hall shining in the background!
Washing our hands to purify ourselves before stepping inside (?)
We marveled at the magnificent Buddha statue and the giant Shibi (roof ornament) that's said to ward off fires.
We spotted a stamp station, so we pressed it onto the back of our admission tickets!
I might have squeezed through a million years ago, but today? Not a chance! Haha.
It's the famous wooden pillar hole—crawling through is said to ward off bad luck for a year...
Knowing she couldn't fit, my mom tried sticking just her arm in. Lol.
My dad just did his arm too, haha!
I was so envious of the little kids who slipped right through! ✨
I bought one of those amulets last time, but naturally, it had zero effect (?)
So I skipped it this time around!!
The real reason we came to Todaiji today:
💙 Binzuru Sonja 💙
They say rubbing the part of his body that corresponds to your ailment will heal you,
so I had my mom and dad rub him thoroughly from head to toe!
Wait... why did I only rub his knees?
My wrists are the ones that feel like they're about to snap...
After a quick tour of Todaiji, we ran off to see the deer.
Just buying the senbei (deer crackers) felt like Mission Impossible...
But it was totally worth it to see my parents
getting playfully chased by the eager deer the moment they held those crackers! It was hilarious.
Playing with the deer flew by, and it was already time to gather.
We grabbed a quick bite at 7-Eleven
before heading over to Kiyomizudera Temple.
The sweet corn mayo bread
and the salad roll were surprisingly delicious!
They give you plenty of free time at Kiyomizudera
so you can explore and grab some lunch,
but I heard that if you don't eat lunch right away,
anywhere you go will be absolute line-waiting hell!
So, we headed straight to grab some gyukatsu first, and even then, we still had to wait in line for a bit.
Right after eating, we headed to our main stop, Kiyomizudera, and spotted Totoro on the way!
I heard Ghibli fans always stop by here, so I really wanted to check it out.
Even though our stop at Kiyomizudera was the longest on the tour,
there just wasn't enough time to see absolutely everything.
So in the end, we couldn't make it back here...😂
📍 Kiyomizudera Temple
1-chōme-294 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0862 Japan
I thought this was my first time visiting Kiyomizudera, but once we arrived,
memories of walking around here in a kimono came flooding back... haha! lol
I snapped a commemorative photo with my mom,
and tried lifting Benkei's iron staff, but it wouldn't budge at all...?
Still, I saw some guys managing to lift both the geta (iron clogs) and the iron staff.
Guess my dad is a strong man after all! ✨
We bought our admission tickets.
They say you can pay by card at the machines nowadays,
but apparently, those tickets don't look as pretty!
So, I chose to pay with cash.
Fun fact: The tickets are said to have completely different designs for spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
As we started exploring Kiyomizudera in earnest, we saw an Omikuji (fortune-telling) stand,
so I told my mom and dad to draw one.
And they both drew "Good Fortune" and "Great Fortune"!!
It instantly put them in such a great mood!
I think it was about 100 yen (~$1), but it was 100 yen of pure happiness.
A must-visit spot when you go to Kiyomizudera!!
When standing at the Otowa Waterfall and looking at the three streams:
The right stream represents health
The middle stream represents love and relationships
The left stream represents success in studies
So my mom and I drank from the health stream,
while my dad drank from both health and love... haha.
I can't even begin to measure how much my dad loves my mom... lol!
Just so you know, if you drink from all three, it's considered greedy and none of your wishes will come true... haha.
📍 % Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama
87-5 Hoshinochō, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0853 Japan
After sightseeing around Kiyomizudera, we rushed over to grab some % Arabica Coffee,
but my mom thought it was a bit underwhelming...
I remember enjoying it in the past too...
but tasting it this time, the standard latte felt a bit heavy and dry.
Luckily, the Kyoto Latte was sweet enough to be quite enjoyable.
The photo spot right in front of % Arabica was actually even better than the coffee itself! ✨
Right before getting on the bus, I spotted some Kyoto beer and bought it...
...but it was pretty meh.. haha.
You see these pickled cucumbers everywhere around Kiyomizudera, and while lots of people buy them,
they honestly didn't look very appetizing. Plus, I think they were charging 500 yen (~$3) at Kiyomizudera.
But once we got to Arashiyama, they were selling them for 350 yen (~$2),
and my mom was like, "They sell these everywhere and everyone is eating them—
aren't you supposed to try things like this since you're a travel blogger?"
She told me to go buy one quickly, so I built up some courage.
My mom took the first bite and said it was actually delicious!
My dad and I couldn't believe her at first,
but when we tried it, it was surprisingly good!
However, the price of these pickled cucumbers varies wildly depending on where you go..
anywhere from 300 to 500 yen (~$2 to ~$3)...
But since they all look and taste pretty much the same size-wise, just go for the 300 yen (~$2) one, lol!
For reference, the place I bought ours from charged 350 yen (~$2) so it wasn't the cheapest, but they even had a kimchi-flavored option.
📍 Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Sagaogurayama Tabuchiyamacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8394, Japan
I remembered my parents loving the Juknokwon Bamboo Garden in Damyang,
so I figured they would absolutely love this place too, but...
The youngest one loved it here when they visited last time,
but Mom and Dad were so worried about getting mosquito bites that they just rushed through it and wanted to relax by the river instead, haha.
So we left the bamboo forest to hang out by the riverbank.
On the way, we grabbed a refreshing matcha ice cream,
and chilled out with a gorgeous view of Togetsukyo Bridge,
wrapping up our wonderful Kyoto and Nara day tour from Osaka!
▼▼▼▼▼▼▼The Osaka-Kyoto-Nara Bus Tour I took with Mom and Dad ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼
[🚩Nara/Kyoto] 1-Day Bus Tour from Osaka to Nara & Kyoto (Laku Tour)
Once we got back to Osaka, I tried the fresh fruit smoothie from 7-Eleven
that I had seen on Choo Sung-hoon’s YouTube channel.
Hmm... I'd say it was just okay for the price?
To be honest, making it yourself in the machine and waiting for it to blend is kind of a hassle,
so I think I'll just stick to buying pre-made drinks next time.
Later, we stopped by a random takoyaki spot near our hotel.
At first, I was confused because there was no sauce on them...
But wow! It turned out to be the most savory and delicious takoyaki
I’ve ever had in Osaka.
I wanted to go back for seconds, but we didn't get the chance...
Even now, as I write this post, my mouth is watering!
For dinner, we headed to YP Ryu, a famous yakiniku restaurant I got to try through a blog sponsorship.
I loved how beautifully the meat was presented on a miniature wooden staircase!
The beef katsu sand (cutlet sandwich) was incredibly delicious,
and since Mom loved it so much, it really became a memorable spot for us.
[Japan Travel] Osaka Locals' Favorite Yakiniku Spot: Kappo YP Ryu Nishi-Shinsaibashi
Since we had some free time today, we thought,
"Why not grab some souvenirs at Don Quijote ahead of time?"
But it was absolutely packed, so we gave up and decided to return tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM instead... haha.
Skipping Don Quijote, we headed to a convenience store to grab some late-night snacks.
While 7-Eleven is great, I personally prefer FamilyMart,
so today it's FamilyMart's turn!
These sausages, which made the perfect pairing for a drink,
And when it came to choosing pudding, I debated getting both. But since we'll be back tomorrow,
I just grabbed the Soufflé Pudding, which I had missed out on during my Tokyo trip.
And oh my goodness, it was absolutely divine!!!
Now I totally understand why it's so famous... ❤️
If you spot this, you absolutely have to try it! Highly recommended!
epilogue
I was a bit worried that our dog Lotto would miss her big sister...
But just in case, I asked Lotto's favorite "Slave #1" (my second sibling) to house-sit,
and it seems like she didn't miss me at all. She was having the time of her life! 😂
4-Day Osaka Family Trip with Mom and Dad
Travel Day 2 END💜
▼▼▼▼▼▼▼The Osaka-Kyoto-Nara Bus Tour We Used▼▼▼▼▼▼▼
[🚩Nara/Kyoto] 1-Day Bus Tour from Osaka to Nara & Kyoto (Laku Tour)
Cielso
ⓒ2026.Cielso All rights reserved.
You will have about 80 to 90 minutes at Nara Deer Park and Todai-ji Temple. Since time might be tight, we recommend visiting Todai-ji Temple first.
Facing the waterfall, the stream on the right represents health, the center represents love and romance, and the left represents academic success. It is said that if you drink from all three, you are considered greedy and your wishes will not come true.
Although you can pay by card at the machine, paying in cash allows you to receive a beautiful physical ticket with different designs for spring, summer, autumn, and winter. If you want to keep the ticket as a souvenir, cash payment is highly recommended.
The price of pickled cucumbers varies from 300 yen to 500 yen depending on the shop. Since the sizes are similar, it is better to buy the cheaper 300 yen ones.
YP Ryu is known for its beautiful stair-style meat plating. Among the various menus, the katsu sando (cutlet sandwich) is exceptionally delicious and highly recommended.
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